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You can only defend this Newcastle player for so long

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Image for You can only defend this Newcastle player for so long

So, this week Joey Barton got slated again for getting a “fellow pro” sent off. For complaining when he’s been given a dose of his supposed “own medicine” by Arsenal’s Alex Song. Same old Joey Barton one would think. There are three points to make in all this. There’s the point of Joey Barton, the education of Gervinho and the way we think about the beautiful game, the “wrongs” and “rights” of it all.

Where Barton is concerned, I have some sympathy for him. He was maltreated by Song, and as he points out, quite rightly, if he’d have done that the firing squad would be after him. Barton has never been a saint, far from it, but I think he’s made concerted efforts to curb his behaviour and apply himself more to the game and this has gone some way to him becoming recognised for the footballing ability he undoubtedly has. Even to the point that Arsene Wenger himself has been considering bringing him to Arsenal. And Wenger isn’t his only admirer. He must be doing something right. Having said that, it’s obvious Barton will be a target for some in the game because of his past demeanours, and this will take time and effort, a long time and a lot more effort to shake off. He’s not quite there yet and despite his innocence to some extent he also has to accept his part in the whole thing – which he clearly has done.

Enter Gervinho. He felt the contact, and went down. Fine. Where he went wrong was to raise his hand to Barton, and this is something he has to learn about the English game. He’s had a baptism of fire. That’s life. Better learn it now than in a more vital situation. Yes, try to get the advantage if you can. It’s part of the game. The kind of contact he made with Barton however, albeit a slap, is not a part of the game. Barton isn’t the only player who will use Gervinho’s naivety against him, we can be sure of that. Thinking about it when Barton grabbed him, he should have gone down, sack-of-spuds fashion like Barton did! Again there are no shortage of takers for that tactic. If someone can gain an advantage they will. The comical thing here is that they were both “guilty” of falling for the same thing. It’s just Gervinho is the new boy in the class and doesn’t know all the little tricks yet, thus was excluded.

Lastly, I often believe too much is made of this diving issue. There’s too much moral bias applied to this act. Let’s face it, on one hand it’s “cheating” and “conning” the referee, on the other hand it’s a bluff. If other players react and fall for it, that’s their problem. They’re “pros” after all remember. The fact is, as advocated by one Mr. Gary Lineker, that as an attacker if you feel the contact from the defender you have to go down. That’s part and parcel of the game. If a player deceives another by putting the ball through his legs or feigning to go one way but going the other, does that make him a cheat also? I’d say not. That act is generally regarded as skill. So why not this little skill or tactic we refer to as diving? It’s a psychological aspect of sport, and it’s not unique to Football. Yes of course, if the player goes down like your average Serie A attacker – as if he’s been shot from the stands – then yes, that’s taking the michael. But a subtle fall here and there as per Gervinho, where’s the problem. Yes the Newcastle defence felt aggrieved but I didn’t see any of the Arsenal defence complaining. What would have happened had the incident occurred at the other end?

Football, like any sport is not just about the physical skill, but also the psychological will. I believe Barton and Gervinho both have plenty of each, and let’s face it, it makes for great entertainment.

Written by Ben Green

NothingButNewcastle.com is looking for writers. If you love the Toon get in touch at nothingbutnewcastle@snack-media.com

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17 comments

  • Arselicked says:

    One rule for Arsenal and the other for the rest.

    Did you read Tony Pulis reaction to Andre Villas Boas’ comments? AVB was as if he was quoting AW’s last take on the AFC vs Stoke game but contrary to what Pulis said then, he defended him and accused the press of misquoting and twisting his words.

    AFC will never win anything under AW because the English press have had enough of him. They want new and/or local heroes.

    • Oli says:

      So, the British Press choose who wins trophies, eh? …idiot.

    • dave says:

      What an absurd, half-witted, xenophobic comment which borders on racism.

    • Anglophobe says:

      And that’s why the british media is anti-arsenal, and that’s why EPL refs are gunnerphobes. I’m afraid England will never win any International trophy in football for a long time bcos of their nationalistic bias.

  • chris says:

    watch Newcastle go down the division like a tonne of brick!!!

  • Savage says:

    Fair comment (I’m a Gooner), but I wouldn’t be too quick to put dummying while dribbling and diving in the same book. You’re meant to outsmart your fellow player, but is there glory in outsmarting a referee?

    As a Gooner, I wasn’t fuming about the Gervinho trip/dive. It was a hard one to call. However, the fact that Barton’s yellow card incident happened in the box with a live ball should have been called as a penalty. In light of the melee, it’s understandable that the referee missed that detail.

    As for the slap, I agree with you. If you start allowing certain kinds of slaps and not others, where do you draw the line? It was funny though watching the players describe the slap using their elbows and fists! Footballers…

    • chris says:

      do not bother about Newcastle thy are going down anyway with there use less coach!!

      • Savage says:

        Not quite. Newcastle will probably finish somewhere around mid-table. It’s going to take a while to build the team back to the point where top players want to come to the club. I’m not sure Pardew is the man for that, but what the club really needs now is stability, not further sackings.

        In my understanding, the way forward for the club is to incrementally increase the quality of signings, much like Sunderland and Stoke have done. Along with that, signing of relative unknowns and fringe players (as with Laurent Robert, Michael Owen, Smith) can give a temporary boost. Keep an eye out for Cabaye and Tiote.

  • Jimi says:

    So you say its Gervinho’s loss for not knowing all the tricks of the English game…. “It’s just Gervinho is the new boy in the class and doesn’t know all the little tricks yet”

    Well that just highlights how Gervinho was not in the wrong here. He wasn’t trying to cheat anyone and Barton shouldn’t have been involved with him at all. Joey instigated the whole scenario and somehow gets off with a yellow whilst an antagonised Gervinho gets sent off. You may not be able to raise a hand (flail a limp wrist even) to someone on a field but how can you be allowed to manhandle someone from the floor giving them furious grief and not letting go of them…? Thats starting a fight if ever I saw it.

    I cannot believe following the game that both arsenal players are given bans for 3 matches each yet Barton walks away with a yellow card.

    It stinks.

    • Anglophobe says:

      The EPL stinks really – the refs, the FA and the cheating players. How on earth could Barton have escaped ban for the same offence commited by Gervinho. The FA was quick to award a 3-match ban against Song in retrospect bcos the ref missed the incident but failed to do same against Barton. Ben Green seemed to brand Barton as a hero in all of this mele but thumbed down Gervinho. You’re such a shame Ben.

      • Savage says:

        It’s true that Barton got away with it and that a penalty was due for Arsenal (although a 0-0 was a fair reflection of the game), but I think Ben’s take of the situation was about as fair as you can get for an opposing fan. The article was balanced and raised interesting issues, whichever way you think about them.

  • Savage says:

    If you’re going to play the antagonism argument, you’ve got to excuse Barton too, as Song antagonised him. And then Song was antagonised because of Barton’s horrendous form in the CC game last season, including that dreadful tackle on Eastmond. At some stage you have to decide to be better than Barton and not respond.

    And when you do, you hope like hell the referee stands up for you. Which clearly doesn’t always happen.

    However, the rule that you can’t review a yellow card and upgrade it later needs another look at.

    • Jimi says:

      It certainly does need looking at. Shocking outcome.

      Considering Song has received punishment subsequent to the game, why does that make Barton ineligible for similar review….?

      I don’t have to excuse Barton.
      Gervinho wasn’t involved with the Barton and Song clash.

      I see it that each incident is separate, they are treated and punished as such. Regardless of other incidents in this match or another. Barton got off a big fat hook.
      Gervinho got more than he deserved. Simple as.

    • pw says:

      i don’t think Song was the one who started the row. maybe in a childish way, but he did finish it.

  • Matt says:

    Even as an Arsenal fan I tend to agree with your comments, but not fully. Song deserved to go, and the retrospective punishment has been fair. Barton should have seen red too, as what he did to Gervinho was violet conduct with the ball in play, and as already identified, a penalty should have also been given. Gervinho also deserved red, although in the other hand could have been seen as self defence.

    The final point is Wenger NEVER considered bringing Barton to the Emirates. A free player is the best kind to Wenger. So if a free player, released by his club, doesn’t come to Arsenal, or any other team for that matter, and stays put, it shows no one is interested.

  • MK says:

    Don’t fool yourselves for a second, it isn’t a coincidence that these type of incidents always occur with Barton in the middle.

    He is the type of player that no true fan should ever want at their club, he brings shame to every club he plays for with his disgraceful attitude towards other players, cowardly tackles from behind, play acting, diving and even worse when he finally gets a taste of his own medicine, he can’t even take it like a man and runs off to complain to the refs.

    Newcastle should be rid of him immediately before he disgraces your great club even further.

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